A new partnership to protect insect populations

The project aligns with the Trust’s strategy on nature, recognising its role in healthy communities and economies. 

Insects play a vital role in our ecosystems, pollinating crops, as food for birds and mammals and as early warning indicators of climate change impacts. However, we lack critical data on the level and speed of the decline in insect populations across the globe; closing this knowledge gap is an urgent priority. 

The Trust has committed £1million to UKCEH, a world-leading independent research institute delivering vital environmental science across land, water and air for project INSPIRE*. Building on the success of a previous partnership which pioneered AI-assisted biodiversity monitoring, this project which will generate vital data for conservation, climate resilience, and public engagement. The project will have a global footprint, with initial focus on the UK, Costa Rica and Singapore as these countries already have sites with automated monitoring of insect systems. By partnering with local networks and Non-Governmental Organisations, INSPIRE will ensure inclusive participation and create tangible benefits for local communities.

The partnership will involve two major areas of work:

Insect sensor platforms: deploying global AI-assisted camera systems with local communities, to monitor nocturnal insects 

Citizen science: building global capacity in citizen science technologies (‘people as sensors’) for insects, with volunteers across the world submitting biodiversity data specific to their communities.  

Kristina Church, Chair of the Aberdeen Group Charitable Trust and Group Head of Sustainability at Aberdeen Group plc, said:

“We are excited to launch Project INSPIRE in partnership with UKCEH. The Trust’s strategy champions the vital role nature plays in supporting healthy economies and communities, and our relationship with UKCEH is central to this vision. It also reflects Aberdeen Group’s wider approach to nature – engaging colleagues to understand widely acknowledged challenges facing biodiversity. Through citizen science activities, the partnership will bring nature closer to the daily lives of people across the regions, helping them to connect, contribute, and make a meaningful difference.”

Professor David Roy, Principal Scientist, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, said:

"This partnership represents a transformative step in global biodiversity monitoring for insects. Closing the knowledge gap for ‘the little things that run the world’ remains an urgent priority for research and conservation. By combining technology with community engagement, we can generate the insights needed to protect ecosystems and inspire action."

*Project INSPIRE stands for Insect Sensor Platforms for Inclusive Research and Engagement